NASHVILLE, TN—(April 13, 2011)—Tennessee State University President Portia Shields today announced plans for the major restructuring and reorganization of academic programs and colleges at the historic land-grant institution.
The plans will discontinue eight academic programs that are not productive or mission-essential to the University; reorganize and/or consolidate marginally productive but mission-essential academic programs; realign a number of academic programs and colleges/schools; and reorganize academic schools and colleges.
The action outlined today by Dr. Shields followed several months of extensive deliberations, consultations and input from various stakeholders at the University, and is designed to right-size the institution, bring like programs together, strengthen programs that are mission central and that have the potential to grow, support TSU’s Carnegie Research designation, position the University to meet its strategic planning goals, and strengthen its fiscal health.
Among the academic programs to be discontinued are:
• B.A. Foreign Languages
• B.S. Physics
• Ed.S. School Psychology
• M.A. English
• M.S. Mathematics
• M.S. Music Education
• B.A. Africana Studies
• Ed.S. Administration and Supervision
While degrees will no longer be offered in these programs, a minor in Africana Studies and a minor in Physics will be created; additionally, foreign language classes will be offered for students on campus, online and through partnership with the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute. Academic programs that have been retained based upon their productivity and centrality to the University’s mission will be strengthened through additional resource support. The recommendations will go to the Tennessee Board of Regents for final approval.
As part of the reorganization, the School of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences has been renamed College of Agriculture and Bio-Environmental Sciences; the College of Arts and Sciences has been renamed College of Arts and Humanities; and the School of Nursing has been merged into the College of Health Sciences. This reduces the number of academic colleges at the University from 8 to 7. A budget saving analysis will be finalized at the end of June and plans for program closure, consolidation, and re-organization will be completed at the end of summer 2011.
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